Contrary to popular belief, having a gift for solving mysteries and the knack for disguises are not enough to make anyone into a private investigator. The government has, indeed, strict laws regarding private investigations and only the states of Wyoming, South Dakota, Missouri, and Mississippi, Idaho, and Colorado don’t currently require private investigators to have licenses to operate.

A Glimpse of California Regulations for Private Investigation Firms
Even if you’re planning to offer private investigation services in any of the aforementioned states, it would still be to your business’s advantage if you’re able to obtain a private investigation license. To give you an idea of what kind of requirements you’d need to comply with, let’s take a look with what California, one of the states with the toughest laws for PIs, asks of its private investigators.

Definition of a Private Investigator’s Work
To work as a private investigator, the services of your business must be any of the following: investigate cause of accidents (natural or man-made) and injury, location of stolen or lost property, identity, character, occupation, or business of a person, and crimes; secure evidence for court use; lastly, protect persons if it’s a minor part of the investigation.

Requirements for a Private Investigator
The state of California requires private investigators to be at least eighteen years old.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as the California Department of Justice (DOJ) will also subject all applicants to a criminal history background check.

Those applying for licenses for private investigation must also possess work experience in the given field for at least three years. Such work should be compensated and amounting to two thousand hours at work annually or a total of 6,000 work hours in three years.

There are alternatives offered to the aforementioned requirement. Those with degrees in police science or law may apply for a license if they’ve experience in investigative work amounting to at least two years or 4,000 work hours.

Those with AA degrees in criminal law, justice, or police science may also apply once they’ve accumulated 5,000 hours at work in at least 2 and a half years.

All work hours tallied by applicants must be certified by your employer and received while you are still in the person’s employ as arson investigator for fire suppression agencies of the government, PI firm employee or repossessor, insurance adjuster, or a law enforcement officer.

Lastly, all applicants will have to take a 2-hour multiple-choice test.

If you think you can comply with all these requirements then you have a bright future ahead of you as a private investigator.

image credits to Kecko

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Anybody with the right kind of skills and techniques can play the part of a private investigator. However, if you wish to make it your business or career, you will need to have a license. Here are some important information regarding private investigation licensure that you might find useful:

Why you need a private investigation licensure
In most states, you will need to have a license to do business as a PI. A private investigation licensure is proof that you are competent in your field and that you can work within accepted legal limitations, something that is often required for civil or criminal cases. Licensure also requires continuous training, which is mandatory in many states.

Qualifications for a private investigation licensure
Generally, private investigators have had experience working in other jobs. It’s not uncommon for policemen and detectives and even billing collection and insurance agents, for example, to shift to private investigation work. Some may also enter the field after working in investigative reporting, commercial credit, military, law enforcement and other jobs that require some form of investigation or audit.

Many people also become private investigators as their second career, after serving years in another field of work.

Educational requirements for private investigation licensure
Although most types of private investigation jobs do not require formal education, many PIs are college graduates or have Associate’s degrees. Courses include police science, criminal justice and other related degrees in the PI’s chosen field of work such as accounting, law or business administration.

If a PI wishes to focus on computer forensics, for example, he will need to have a degree in computer science or at least have a minimum of 15 credits in the subject. In some cases, professional degrees, Master’s or PhDs may be required, depending on the job.

Other requirements for private investigation licensure
The kind of licensure requirements for private investigators varies from one state to the next. Some states may have strict requirements while others may have less stringent demands. The minimum age usually starts at 18. There are also a minimum number of years that the PI must be in practice. Some states, such as California, require at least 3 years of experience.

Private investigation licensure also requires that the PI is in good standing with the law and have a clean criminal history. This is verified with the state’s Department of Justice and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Qualifying exams on laws, rules and regulations regarding the practice must also be passed. If the PI wants to carry a handgun, the necessary firearms permit must also be acquired.

image credits to Johnny

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Anybody with the right kind of skills and techniques can play the part of a private investigator.  However, if you wish to make it your business or career, you will need to have a license.  Here are some important information regarding private investigation licensure that you might find useful:

Why you need a private investigation licensure
In most states, you will need to have a license to do business as a PI.  A private investigation licensure is proof that you are competent in your field and that you can work within accepted legal limitations, something that is often required for civil or criminal cases.  Licensure also requires continuous training, which is mandatory in many states.

Qualifications for a private investigation licensure
Generally, private investigators have had experience working in other jobs.  It’s not uncommon for policemen and detectives and even billing collection and insurance agents, for example, to shift to private investigation work.  Some may also enter the field after working in investigative reporting, commercial credit, military, law enforcement and other jobs that require some form of investigation or audit.

Many people also become private investigators as their second career, after serving years in another field of work.

Educational requirements for private investigation licensure
Although most types of private investigation jobs do not require formal education, many PIs are college graduates or have Associate’s degrees.  Courses include police science, criminal justice and other related degrees in the PI’s chosen field of work such as accounting, law or business administration.

If a PI wishes to focus on computer forensics, for example, he will need to have a degree in computer science or at least have a minimum of 15 credits in the subject.  In some cases, professional degrees, Master’s or PhDs may be required, depending on the job.

The kind of licensure requirements for private investigators varies from one state to the next.  Some states may have strict requirements while others may have less stringent demands.  The minimum age usually starts at 18.  There are also a minimum number of years that the PI must be in practice.  Some states, such as California, require at least 3 years of experience.

Private investigation licensure also requires that the PI is in good standing with the law and have a clean criminal history.  This is verified with the state’s Department of Justice and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Qualifying exams on laws, rules and regulations regarding the practice must also be passed.  If the PI wants to carry a handgun, the necessary firearms permit must also be acquired.

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